Yoshitoshi (1839 – 1892), “Jade Rabbit”

The most important woodblock print artist of the Meiji period, Yoshitoshi was born in Edo (Tokyo) in 1839 with the given name of Yonejiro. The son of a merchant, samurai, Yoshitoshi left home permanently to live with his uncle, Tsukioka Sessai in Shinbashi. In 1850 his uncle enrolled him as a resident student in the school of Kuniyoshi (1798 -1861). He was given the artist name Yoshitoshi. His first print was published when he was 14, a triptych of a historical 12th C. naval battle. In the 1860, after the death of Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi supported himself by designing prints of the famous Kabuki actors of the day. By the mid-1860`s his prints depicted historical and heroic subjects. Against the difficult political background that was Edo between 1866 - 1868, Yoshitoshi produced a number of prints with intense, bloody subjects. In the years 1868-1869, a total of 240 designs were published and a newspaper ranked him as the fourth most popular woodblock print artist. He produced few prints between 1869 - 1871 and suffering a deep depression and nervous breakdown. During the 1870`s he designed prints for a Tokyo newspaper and struggled financially. The Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 led to his being commissioned to design a number of triptychs of the events. These were well received by the public and helped him temporarily escape his financial difficulties. Completed in 1880, Yoshitoshi`s series, "Mirror of Famous Generals of Japan", caused a sensation with their daring compositions, strong lines and vivid colors.